Jeff DeBoer Area: Product Strategy and Innovation Consulting, Consumer Products Occupation: Vice President, Principal, Sundberg-Ferar, Inc. Base: Detroit, Michigan, USA Jeff joined Sundberg-Ferar, a 70 year old U.S. design consultancy, in 1985 and became Vice President and a Principal in 1992. Jeff's primary focus is developing product strategies for clients using Sundberg-Ferar's Genesis™ process, ensuring that companies are strategically and tactically poised to create and develop winning products. To support this process, he and his team have developed numerous research methods to analyze consumer, design and technology trends. This analysis is used to identify breakthrough product solutions and create product innovation roadmaps to guide future development efforts. To communicate design strategies and motivate corporate organizations, Jeff regularly leads executive workshops aimed at challenging "status quo" design, and identifying pathways to invigorate sales and gain market share. His passion for creating emotive and functionally innovative product solutions can be seen in work for Masco (home products), Johnson Controls (automotive interiors), Whirlpool (major appliances), Target (house-wares) and Allsteel (system furniture). Jeff has also worked in Europe and Latin America, developing consumer products for regional markets. In Europe, Jeff was Director of Whirlpool Corporation's Industrial Design Studio, located in Cassinneta, Italy. While there, he oversaw the development of multiple product platforms, working as liaison between the corporate design studio and regional marketing groups. Jeff holds numerous mechanical and design patents, and is an active member of the Industrial Designers Society of America. He has taught courses at the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, and is a graduate of the University of Michigan.